John 20:22-23, Rebuttal to the Protestant interpretation

Perhaps, the clearest passage showing the Apostles were given the power to forgive sins in the Name of Christ, the origin of the ability of the priests of the Church to forgive sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) is found in the passages in St John's Gospel 20:21-23

(Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."--John 20:21-23

Many will object and assert that here the only thing Jesus is doing here is telling the Apostles that they can now forgive their brother when their brother sins against them.

This reading, however, is highly problematic. Their interpretation requires them to add two words into the verse to make it sins done against the Apostles. Let's see how their interpretation would read in they added the words to the text:

"If you forgive the sins done against you of any their sins done against you have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins done against you of any, they have been retained." (Protestant understanding of John 20:23)

The thing about this is that, if Christ wanted to say this He would have said this! Whenever the Bible speaks about sins done against God it simply says "sins against the LORD" or some variation of it, or simply says "sins" or some variation of sin like "trespass," "offend," etc. Now when they Bible says a person was harmed by another person it says someone "sinned against them", it always does so, so as to not confuse it with sinning against God. Here are a few examples:

But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.--Matthew 18:15

Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?-Matthew 18:22

And Ruben one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin against the boy: and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is required.--Genesis 42:22

Furthermore, why would Jesus have to breathe on them to have the ability to forgive the sins of their offenders? They were already said to have this ability in the Lord's Prayer, and Jesus said shortly after:

"If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."--Matthew 6:14-15

It would seem if we were to follow the thought process no one had their sins forgiven since they did not have the Holy Spirit breathed on them.

Call no man father?

"Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven."—Matthew 23:9

This verse has been used by anticatholics to claim it to be wrong to call a priest (or anyone) father, the verse previous would logically also prohibit calling men "doctor" since it means "teacher," but if Jesus was prohibiting calling men father then what about.....

"And say, if we had been in the days of OUR FATHERS..." (Matthew 23:30)

"...so worship I the God of my FATHERS..." (Acts 24:14)

When Elisha saw it happen he cried out, "My father! my father!* Israel's chariots and drivers!" But when he could no longer see him, Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.(2 kings 2:12) *traditionally Jews regard both Elijah and Elisha as celibates.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked, "Shall I kill them, my father?" (2 kings 6:21)

Hazael went to visit him, carrying a present, and with forty camel loads of the best goods of Damascus. On his arrival, he stood before the prophet and said, "Your son Ben-hadad, king of Aram, has sent me to ask you whether he will recover from his sickness."(2 kings 8:9)

"Stay with me," Micah said to him. "Be father and priest to me, and I will give you ten silver shekels a year, a set of garments, and your food."(judges 17:10)

"But Timothy's worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel." (Philippians 2:22)

"Look to Abraham, your father..." (Isaiah 51:2) **Abraham MEANS "father of many nations"**

And he replied, "My brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he had settled in Haran, (Acts 7:2)

“Thus he was to be the father of all the uncircumcised who believe”—Romans 4:11 *Thos is an OBVIOUS reference to Abraham as being a spiritual father

"as well as the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but also follow the path of faith that our father Abraham walked while still uncircumcised." (Romans 4:12)

"For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us," (Romans 4:16)

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?" (James 2:21)

"To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1 Tim. 1:2)

"Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as a father. Treat younger men as brothers" (1 Tim. 5:1)

"To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (2 Tim. 1:2

"To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." (Tit. 1:4)

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. (1 John 2:13)

I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have manyfathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (1 Cor. 4:14-15) *Literally reads “I begat you in Christ..”

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him... then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Gen. 1:27, 2:7)

"When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." (Gen. 5:3)

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:21-22)

"Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands... guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us." (2 Tim. 1:6, 14)

Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood. (1 Tim 4:14)

Conclusion: Call no man father was not a prohibition against the use of the word father to human beings, if it were well....everyone of the Apostles and God Himself would be guilty of this.